Video: Campaign pushes college completion

An estimated 600,000 Coloradans have college credits but never finished their degrees, and state officials want change that.

Gov. Bill Ritter and state and business leaders Monday formally launched Complete College Colorado, a one-month campaign to raise awareness about the value of a college degree.

Providing a personal story at the event was Metro State student Angel Perez, who started college in 1994 and recently returned to finish her coursework. She said she’s now headed to Colorado State University to pursue a graduate degree in ethnic studies. Ritter and Metro President Steve Jordan presented her with her bachelor’s degree at the event.

The program is designed to raise public awareness about the importance of college degrees to individual success and to the state’s economy and to publicize the services and financial support available to adults who want to finish college. Resources, a schedule of events and other information is available on this website.

Asked why the campaign was launched so late in his term, Ritter said he wanted to coordinate the effort with the recent release of the higher education strategic plan (see story) and that he hopes Complete College is “setting the foundation” for continuing efforts to help adults finish college.